People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF)

A number of long-standing and emerging threats are putting pressure on the dry forest landscape in and around Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary. Many have overlapping causes and impacts, and not all are well understood. The primary concerns that are currently being addressed through PRCF’s involvement in the landscape are:

Low law enforcement capacity

The 30 LWS rangers are mostly low paid contract workers. Improved in-house training capacity and better relations with other enforcement agencies is needed. There are plans to tackle this in the near future.

Land encroachment

There is a widespread demand among communities bordering the sanctuary for agricultural land, and some encroachment has already occurred. The PRCF is working with LWS managers to develop mechanism to tackle these demands.
Hunting and NTFP collection
Hunting and collection of wildlife for subsistence is threatening particularly ungulate species, and is ultimately due to poor income and food security among local communities. The status of commercial hunting is currently unknown.

Illegal logging

High-value hardwoods such as Afzelia xylocarpa, Dalbergia cochinchinensis and D. bariensis are extracted from remote areas by organised groups. They are occasionally armed, and enforcement rangers have found these groups particularly intractable.

Illegal land purchase

‘Land grabbing’ for plantation forestry is a growing concern to the north of LWS and is threatening the sanctuary boundaries, which are poorly marked. A demarcation program is underway with support from the PRCF.

Infrastructure development

Hydropower dams, mine concessions, and roads are all threatening the dry forest landscape. More information is being currently being collected to help identify how to effectively engage with these threats.

Inadequate and insecure funding for protected area management

The Ministry of Environment is significantly under funded, which is mirrored in its protected areas. Salaries and operations budgets are low and unreliable. PRCF is supporting investigations into potential sustainable financing options.

Lack of protected areas zonation

The 2008 Protected Area Law, requires definition of core and community use areas. This process has been begun in LWS with support from the PRCF.

Poor relations with resident communities

There are 25 villages on the edge of LWS, but rights and responsibilities are not defined to meet government policy, nor are there mechanism for negotiation with sanctuary managers. Conflicts over land and resource use are common. Since March 2008, the PRCF has supported participatory research to understand resource use patterns as the basis for negotiated agreements with communities (see map).